Hawks allow Lightning to even series with 4-3 win
TAMPA, Fla. - Patrick Sharp has taken part in 125 postseason games over his 11-year NHL career.
So when the veteran winger makes a mistake that perhaps costs his team a victory, he's going to own up to it.
It was Sharp who took what basically amounted to back-to-back penalties in the third period of the Blackhawks' 4-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on Saturday.
The Lightning cashed in on the second one when Jason Garrison unloaded a one-timer that got past Corey Crawford with 11:11 remaining. It was just Garrison's second goal of the playoffs.
"Yeah, they both were unintentional," Sharp said of his penalties. "We were battling and I guess my stick came up (on Ryan Callahan) and clipped him. I didn't mean to do it. It happens.
"I'll take responsibility. It's tough to put your penalty kill in a situation like that."
The series is now deadlocked at 1-1 with Game 3 at the United Center on Monday.
Game 2 was jam-packed with the kind of up-and-down action fans were expecting in this series. The second period was especially entertaining, with 4 goals - 2 by each team - getting past Crawford and Ben Bishop.
The Hawks got goals from Andrew Shaw and Teuvo Teravainen in the second. Brent Seabrook's blast 3:38 into the third tied the game at 3-3.
As much as the Hawks wanted to take both games on the road, they still have to feel good about getting a split. On the other side, the Lightning might be facing some serious problems if Bishop, who was replaced not once, but twice, by backup Andrei Vasilevskiy midway through the third period, is seriously injured.
Here's how Lightning coach Jon Cooper opened his postgame press conference: "Before we get going - and I hate to be that guy - I will not answer a question about the goaltending or what happened tonight."
Vasilevskiy played in just 16 games this season with a 7-5-1 record and had appeared for all of 45 minutes during the postseason. But he made the stops he needed to (5) and was credited with a victory.
"When Bish had to leave," Cooper said, "there wasn't an ounce of stress on anybody on our bench, including myself. The kid proved it when he went in. He was great."
"Usually in a situation like that you tighten up," said Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. "Obviously you feel for him getting thrown in there like that. He made a pretty good save on (Brad) Richards on the power play. … We've got confidence in that kid."
Kid being the operative word. The 6-foot-3 Russian is just 20 years old, although he was the team's first-round pick (19th overall) in 2012.
Many of the Hawks were asked if they felt frustrated because they couldn't get a shot or two past such an inexperienced goaltender.
"No. That had nothing to do with frustration," Duncan Keith said. "We want to be able to score a goal no matter who's in net."
Crawford stopped just 20 of 24 shots and was most upset with Tyler Johnson's goal that gave Tampa Bay a 3-2 lead with 6:02 left in the second period. But Tampa Bay's first two scores (by Cedric Paquette and Nikita Kucherov) came on redirects where Crawford had almost no chance to stop the puck.
"I felt good," Crawford said. "I was seeing the puck pretty well and some funky plays that went in. Just gotta be better."
The bottom line is the Hawks are coming home tied, and if they can take care of business at the United Center, they can return to Florida with a commanding 3-1 lead.
"I'm sure everyone will be loud and excited about us coming back," Quenneville said. "We'll be all right."
The question is, will Bishop? Because if he's not, it could be lights out for the Lightning.